Baking with Dorie: Cheese Puffers

It is Paris Sweets: Great Desserts from the City's Best Pastry Shops: A Baking Book that first made me fall in love with the cookbooks of Dorie Greenspan. I took a batch of her Sablés au Citron to a family get-together (back when we had such things) and I got a whole series of requests for my recipe. (My post about making Sablés au Citron is here.)

Now I'm enjoying Baking With Dorie: Sweet, Salty, & Simple. This book marks thirty years of cookbookery for Dorie. To make this cookbook, she spent three years working on the kinds of recipes she loves most: recipes that are simple, use basic ingredients, and have deep flavors and complex textures. She focused on creating recipes that are flexible, that allow the cook to play with them. And she built surprises into as many of the recipes as she could. 

Doesn't that sound fun? 

And here's a lovely quote from Dorie in her introduction to the book:

"This is my fourteenth cookbook, and it arrives exactly thirty years after my first. A lot has changed over those decades, but not the joy I get from baking. That's constant and unfailing. If you're a baker, you know exactly how I feel. If you're not, the sweetest thing I can wish you is that you become one. Bake something and share it. It might change your life. It changed mine."

Dorie shares recipes for what she calls The Daily Bread (a fairly simple white bread that can be made every day); brioche (her favorite bread, and mine); babka; biscuits; Lemony Yogurt Muffins (the next thing I'm trying from this cookbook); cakes; cobblers; French Riviera Lemon Tart (on my list to make soon); Peanut-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Paris Style (how can I resist that?); biscotti; pies...Let's just say that if you can bake it, there is probably some fresh version of it in this book.

The first thing I tried is Dorie's Cheese Puffers.

Cheese Puffers

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

A few grinds of black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3 large eggs

1 cup milk, at room temperature

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

3 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced or chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

If you have a cast-iron muffin tin, put it in the oven when you start to preheat it and melt the butter in the cups a minute before you’re ready to add the batter. Check puffers after 15 minutes in the oven.

Center a rack in the oven and position another rack just below it. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Have a baking sheet lined with foil or a baking mat and a muffin tin at hand. (If you’re using a cast-iron pan, put it into the oven now; see above.) Put the baking sheet on the lower rack — it will be your drip catcher.

Drop one piece of the butter into each muffin cup; set aside (see above if using a cast-iron pan).

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, black pepper and cayenne.

In another bowl or a large measuring cup, whisk the eggs and milk together. Using a flexible spatula, stir the liquid ingredients into the dry, then blend in the cheese and scallions. Be thorough, but don’t be overzealous.

Put the muffin tin into the oven and as soon as the butter has melted, remove it and brush the butter around the sides of each cup with a silicone or other pastry brush. Using a big cookie scoop or a spoon, divide the batter among the cups and immediately return the tin to the oven.

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until the puffers are tall and golden. The butter will be bubbling around them and a tester inserted into the center of one will come out clean. Transfer the tin to a rack, run a table knife around the edges of each cup and pop the puffers out. Serve immediately.

Storing: These are meant to be eaten as soon as they’re baked, but if they must wait for a few hours, quickly reheat them in a hot oven.

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme where you can share new words that you’ve encountered, or spotlight words you love.  Feel free to get creative! It was first created by Kathy over at Bermuda Onion and is now hosted at Elza Reads.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Cookbook: Secrets of Great Second Meals: Flexible Modern Recipes that Value Time and Limit Waste

What might I be called? Some would say thrifty. Others might call me economical. I've even been called cheap (in a good way, I think). 

All of these are true. I know how to live big on very little.

Secrets of Great Second Meals is perfect for someone like me. 

Look at the opening paragraph of the book: 

"Hey, have you checked your refrigerator today? Are there any enticing offerings chilling in there? Some rice from takeout the other night? Maybe a few chunks of rotisserie chicken? Or half a bundle of herbs you bought a few days ago and need to use soon? That stuff is golden: those odds and ends are the seeds of your next glorious meal."

I like this, too: 

"I take uncommon delight in putting together memorable meals out of the morsels in my refrigerator: it's creative work with just a hint of virtue embedded in it."

Some important ideas author Sara Dickerman shares: the secrets of great first meals; how to reanimate (her word) stored food; and when to throw things out.

Here are some facts I learned:

1. The number-one source of leftover chicken in the country is probably supermarket rotisserie chicken. But it's easy to make something similar for your own leftover chicken.

2. Always throw fruit that's on the brink of over-ripeness into the freezer---especially bananas.

3. Look this one up if you often have bits and pieces of leftover cheese: fromage fort.

4. Cook in batches large enough for a future meal, and then recombine them in a different manner for a different meal. Cook simply the first time and add complexity later.

5. A dozen eggs in the house is the best possible setup for a delicious second meal.

6. How do you make something out of nothing? The author shares egg moves, soup moves, salad moves, and carb (bread, tortillas, pasta, rice, or potatoes) moves. 

7. The author notes that she tries to "rethink the classic casserole mentality." For example, "no canned soup was injured in the making of this cookbook."

Okay, but what about recipes, I can hear you ask. Does this cookbook have recipes? Judge for yourself:

Black Bean Tacos with Mushrooms and Scissor Salsa

Meatball Frittata with Mozzarella and Tomatoes

Mustard-Kissed Chard and Gruyère Galette

I love to read cookbooks that inspire my creativity like this one. 

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Cookbook: Mostly Plants

"Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." 

Michael Pollan began an important conversation about eating with this statement. This cookbook, Mostly Plants, was created by the mother and sisters of Michael, based on that statement, with the emphasis on the word "mostly." Plants, the four authors tell us, "are Mother Nature's prescription for improved health." The authors remind us that we have long known that plant eaters are more healthy than meat eaters, with a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes as well as many types of cancers and heart disease, improved cholesterol levels, and lower mortality rates from these diseases. Plant eaters have a lower body mass index and lose pounds and keep them off. Plus, eating plants helps our planet. In addition, "The great news is, you don't have to give up meat completely to reap the benefits of a plant-based diet." Whew. Perfect for me. 

"Mostly plants" is a pretty good description of the way I naturally cook. My mother and people of her generation organized her meals around a meat; I use meat as a flavoring. 

The book is devoted to the answer to this question, "How do I make a nutritious meal that doesn't scream 'healthy' and that will put me on the road to a happier, more balanced lifestyle?" 

Here are some recipes that I plan to try.

White Bean and Kale Quesadillas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Caldo Verde with Kale and Chorizo

Watermelon, Feta, and Arugula Salad with Balsamic Glaze

Rainbow Frittata

What do you think?

Do you think you could be a flexitarian?

Are you a "mostly plants" eater?

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

Dinner Chez Moi: 50 French Secrets to Joyful Eating and Entertaining

Elizabeth Bard grew up eating macaroni and cheese from a box. But she grew up to marry a Frenchman and that sort of thing just won't do over there. Fifteen years later Bard knows all the secrets.

Dinner Chez Moi is Bard's guide to French tips, tricks, and recipes that add flair to your kitchen. Bard includes recipes for Cherry Clafoutis, Madeleines, Broiled Sea Bream with Lemon and Herbs, and many more classic dishes. 

But some of the best parts of the book are the simplest. A steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea, for example:

"It was a rainy afternoon in December the first time Gwendal lured me to his apartment in Paris with the promise of a steaming pot of Moroccan mint tea. He served it in his grandfather's teapot, beaten tin with a graceful spout and an ivory bead at the top so he wouldn't burn his fingers. The rest is history.

To re-create that afternoon, all I need is 2 teaspoons of gunpowder green tea, several springs of fresh mint, and 2 or 3 sugar cubes. Put everything in a teapot, cover with boiling water, and let steep for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir, remove the tea and mint, serve."

French Cooking for Beginners: 75+ Classic Recipes to Cook Like a Parisian

BASIC QUICHE

For the Flaky Pastry Crust

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup cold unsalted butter, diced into small pieces

1/2 cup water

For the Basic Quiche Filling

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. To make the flaky pastry crust, in a food processor, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Pulse for a few seconds, just enough to combine well. Add the butter and pulse several times, until the flour resembles coarse cornmeal. Slowly add the water with the motor running. Stop as soon as you have added the last drop of water. Don't worry; the dough will not be fully mixed at this point.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and mix it by hand until it comes together into a ball. Place in a large zip-top bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

3. Lightly flour your work surface. Roll the dough out into a giant circle, about 15 inches round and 1/8 inch thick. To transfer it to a 9-inch springform pan, coil it around your rolling pin. Unwind the dough loosely over the pan. Gently push the dough down into the corners, leaving at least 1 inch of dough hanging over the top edge. The outer-upper lip of the springform pan has a curled edge facing outward. Pinch the excess dough tightly around the edge, leaving any excess dough hanging down the outside. It is important to pinch as firm as possible without tearing the dough. This will prevent the crust from shrinking. Refrigerate the crust for 2 hours or more.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer the pan to a baking sheet. Situate the baking sheet in the lower third of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Pull the baking sheet out of the oven and use a serrated knife to cut along the top edge of the pan. All the scraggly pastry pieces that were pinched into place will fall 

off.

5. To make the basic quiche filling, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. When the crust is done, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. 

6. Pour the filling into the prebaked crust and bake until the filling is firm, about 50 minutes. Let it cool about 30 minutes before cutting it. It needs time to set. You will notice the difference resting makes when you slice it.

Thoughts: Prebaking the crust kept the crust from getting soggy. I didn't have a springform pan or a food processor so I made do without these. I added bacon to make a version of this recipe called Quiche Lorraine. The quiche was delicious!

Barefoot in Paris: Croque Monsieur

I bet you know the Barefoot Contessa. I don't watch tv and I know the Barefoot Contessa. She is the sort of cook that seeks out the best ingredients, the best flavors, the best recipes, but also finds ways to solve the problems of recipes that take too much time or ask for odd ingredients. Her cookbooks are a joy to cook from. 

I found a copy of Barefoot in Paris for my Paris in July adventure this year, and I spent a lovely afternoon reading through the book and bookmarking recipes that look promising. 

And though my first choice to try was Lemon Chicken with Croutons, sadly I'm cooking during the pandemic, I am only doing grocery pickup every two weeks, and I don't have a nice roasting chicken right now. 

So instead I decided to try Croque Monsieur. 

I had an additional step, but it's one you certainly do not have to do. I made my own loaf of bread. The crust on this bread really added to the flavor of the Croque Monsieur.

Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups hot milk

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed

Dijon mustard

8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter-flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.
3. To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.
4. Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread. Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot.

Oh my goodness. The cheese.

For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Weekend Cooking was created by Beth Fish Reads and is now hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader (and Baker). It is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

I Share a Little from My (Real) Trip to Paris This Year

Many of you are sad. You had planned a real trip to Paris this year, and your plans were canceled. 

I did go to Paris this year. For real. Last winter.

MY (REAL) TRIP TO PARIS IN 2020

My sister and I in Paris in January of 2020

My sister and I planned a trip to Paris. We planned this trip for the winter of 2020. We heard a little bit of talk about the coronavirus in January, but it did not sound worrisome. We left for Paris in late January. Our big plane to Paris only had 159 passengers. I had a whole row to myself. The row in front of me and behind me was empty, too. We never learned why. 

Do you see the children on their scooters in these pictures? 

We were gone for seventeen days. We met up with my sister's grandchildren and their parents in Paris. Every day we walked many miles. One day we walked 12 miles. The children rode on their scooters. 

    

I took a drawing book with me. Every day I wrote down a little about our day. I drew pictures. Sometimes I played Hangman with the children while we waited in the restaurants. The children drew in the book sometimes, too.

I brought one real book with me to Paris last winter. It was the perfect book for the trip. It is called Paris in Winter. I read it every morning with my coffee.

I'll share more about my trip to Paris next week.

BOOKS AND MOVIES THAT ARRIVED THIS WEEK

My Paris books and movies arrived for me from the library this week.

BOOKS I READ LAST WEEK DURING PARIS IN JULY

MOVIES I WATCHED LAST WEEK DURING PARIS IN JULY

I also shared a recipe from Dinner in French by Melissa Clark.

And I posted a list of New Books from France.

What went on in your part of the world?

How are things going for you?

I thank all of you who stop by and link up and share your thoughts.

I'm very happy you found your way to the Sunday Salon. There are no requirements for linking up at Sunday Salon. Sunday Salon is simply a place for us to link up and to share what we have been doing during the week. Sunday Salon is a great way to visit other blogs and join in the conversations going on there. 

Some of the things we often talk about at the Sunday Salon:

• What was your week like?
• Read any good books? Tell us about them.
• What other bookish things did you do? 
• What else is going on in your life?

Other places where you may like to link up over the weekend are below. Click on the picture to visit the site.

My linkup for Sunday Salon is below.